The Early Years
by CKLHand
Summary: Jill, Kris, and Sal visit their grandparents and take a trip down Memory Lane. Please read and review! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

_**Thanks to everyone who has contributed ideas and has given me a starting off point with this story--Welsh Canuck, Kris Munroe, kp1185, and kpaige27 who came up with the idea of a flashback episode. (Ideas are being taken for the next one, and it's been suggested that Sal have a dark side, LOL. PM me if you have suggestions.) **_

_**DISCLAIMER STUFF: I don't own Jill, Kris, or Aunt Lydia and Uncle Paul. I own Sal, the parents and grandparents, and anyone else essential to the plot. This is just for fun. (Well, the next to the last chapter is kind of depressing.) **_

* * *

Chapter 1

It was a sunny afternoon. Sal Munroe drove the white and blue striped Cobra northward up the interstate highway. She and her sisters Jill and Kris were on their way to visit their grandparents. Charlie had given his Angels and Bosley two weeks off for some R&R. Jill was in between races. The Munroe sisters' grandparents had wanted them to come visit for quite some time. Now that Sal was out of school for the summer and everyone had vacation time, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Sal was singing along to the radio as she drove. She looked down at the instrument panel and noticed that she was starting to go over the speed limit. She eased up on the gas, and looked over at her sister Kris, who was sleeping in the passenger seat beside her. It had taken some convincing to get Kris to let Sal get her license, especially after Sal had used the car as a weapon to catch a rapist. Sal had banged up the car pretty good then. Since it was done in the line of duty, Charlie had taken care of the damages. Kris still wasn't too happy about it. Eventually, Sal wore her down with Jill's help. Sal was hoping to be able to buy her own car one of these days, but for now, she'd have to borrow her sister's.

Jill stirred restlessly in the back seat. "Hey, I'm getting hungry. Isn't it about time for a lunch break?"

Sal grinned at her oldest sister in the mirror. "We're coming up on Fresno. We can take a break there."

"Think you can live that long, Jill?" Kris asked sleepily.

Sal laughed as she drove on towards Fresno. Soon the exit signs for Fresno appeared. Sal took the closest one and found a restaurant. She pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.

"See, I didn't crack it up," she told Kris.

"Don't push your luck, kid." The sisters walked around and stretched their legs for a bit before going into the restaurant.

"I want to buy a postcard to send to Liz," Sal told her sisters. She ducked into the gift shop. Kris and Jill looked at each other, shrugged, and followed Sal. All three sisters ended up buying postcards to send to friends.

"Now let's get something to eat," Jill said. "I'm starving!" Fortunately, they were soon seated and served. After they were done with their lunch and settling up the bill, they headed back out to the parking lot.

"Who's turn is it to drive now?" Sal asked.

"My turn!" said Kris as she yanked the keys from Sal's hand.

"HEY!"

Kris playfully shoved Sal towards the passenger side of the car. Sal started to climb in the front seat. "Backseat, Sal, " Jill told her. "My turn to sit in the front." Sal grumbled about older sisters as she climbed in to the back. The three girls settled themselves in for the rest of the drive. Kris pulled the car out of the parking lot and got back on the freeway. Soon they were heading back up Interstate 5 for the duration of their journey to San Francisco. At Stockton, Kris turned west on Highway 50 and headed for San Francisco. About an hour and a half later, they were inside the city limits and heading for their grandparents' house. Soon the house came into view.

"We're here! We're here!" Sal shouted. She had a special bond with her grandparents. She had lived with them for four years after her parents died, and then moved to LA to be with her sisters The sisters got out of the car and approached the front porch. Sal rang the bell. They waited a minute. Sal was about to ring again when the door was opened by their grandmother.

"We're here, Grandma!" Sal cried and flung her arms around her grandma.

"Hello, hello!" Grandma said as she hugged Sal, then Kris and JIll. "Come in, come in! Are you hungry?"

"Yes," said Jill.

"No," said Kris and Sal.

"I've just made some cookies in honor of your visit and I've got a pot of coffee on. " Grandma led the girls into the living room. "Please sit down, girls. I'll bring the coffee and cookies out. I've got some lemonade for you, Sal."

Sal smiled at her grandma. As soon as Grandma's back was turned, she rolled her eyes. Kris and Jill laughed at her. Grandma returned with a tray full of coffee, cookies, lemonade and assorted items. Sal helped pass things around. Jill took a bite of cookie.

"I've missed your cookies, Grandma."

"We all have, " added Kris.

"Your Grandpa had to run to the store for a bit. He should be back shortly. In the meantime, have some cookies and coffee. When you're ready, your old rooms will be waiting for you. Jill and Kris, you will double up in the twin beds in Kris' old room. Sal, you will take your old room."

"Ok, Grandma."

The front door opened and the girls could hear their grandfather. "WHO PARKED IN MY SPOT?"

"Grandpa!!!" Sal ran to her grandpa. He pulled her into a big bear hug.

"Sal!"

"Hi, Grandpa," Kris gave him a hug. "I'm sorry if I parked in your spot. I'll move my car."

"Don't worry about it, honey. Is that Jill over there?"

"It sure is, Grandpa." Jill came over to him and hugged him.

"Well, girls, how about we get your bags inside?"

"Sure, Grandpa." Grandpa followed the girls outside to get their bags.

* * *

Later that evening, after the girls had unpacked and settled in, the family had dinner. It seemed like old times. Ater dinner, Sal helped her grandma clear the table. The adults relaxed over cups of coffee.

"Girls, there are several boxes of your parents' belongings up in the attic. I would like you to go through them while you are here," their grandmother told them.

OK, Grandma."

"I'd like to do that," Sal said. Her memories of her parents were not as vivid as her sisters'.

"We'll get started first thing in the morning," Jill said.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As soon as the breakfast dishes were done, the sisters went up to the attic with their grandmother. Grandma pointed to a pile of boxes in the corner. "You'll find lots of interesting things over there," she told them. "You're welcome to take home anything you like."

"Thanks, Grandma." Jill pulled the top carton off of the pile. Grandma went downstairs.

"Let's start with this one," Jill said. She carried the carton over to where Kris and Sal were and set it down on the floor. Jill opened it. Sal pulled a photo album out

of the box and opened it. "Look at this, you guys! It's mom and dad with both of you. Mom's pregnant!" She sat down on the floor with Kris next to her.

"Yeah, I remember that summer. Don't you, Jill?"

"Yeah, I do. " Jill didn't sound too happy.

"What's wrong?" asked Sal.

"Even though we knew you were coming, it wasn't exactly the best year," Kris told her.

"Why not?"

"Might as well start at the beginning," Jill told Kris.

Kris nodded and began.

* * *

_Just after New Year's in 1963, Helen Munroe found out she was pregnant with her third child. The thought brought her mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was thrilled to be having another baby. On the other, she was worried how they were going to be able to feed another mouth. Money was very tight in their household. Her husband James was having a hard time holding a job. When he did have a job, he wasn't very careful about how his paycheck was spent. He often spent it on liquor before necessities. Helen wasn't sure how to tell him, but knew he had to be told sooner or later. She waited until after dinner. Jill and Kris cleared away and washed the dishes. James went into the living room and turned on the TV._

_"James," Helen began._

_"Quiet! I want to catch the news."_

"I have some news of my own. Please turn off the TV for a minute."

_James grumbled, but got up to turn off the TV. _

_"James, I went to the doctor today."_

"How are we going to afford that?"

"We're going to have to afford it, because I'm going to have to be going more often for the next few months."

_"What are you trying to say, woman?"_

_"That I'm going to have another baby." _

_Jill and Kris came in from the kitchen and heard what their mother had said. They both squealed. Helen turned to them "Girls, have you finished the dishes?"_

_"Yes, Mom. "_

"Then go upstairs and do your homework."

The girls knew it was useless to protest. They went up the stairs to their room. After the girls were gone, Helen and James continued their discussion. 

_"Another baby, huh? How about that!" _

_"How are we going to afford it?" _

_"We'll manage. I just started this new job. I think they like me there. I should be able to keep it."_

"I hope you can."

* * *

_In the girls' room, Jill and Kris' minds were anywhere but on their homework. "Wow, another baby," Jill said._

_"Yeah." Kris looked down at her school books._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Well, I've been the youngest for so long. Now someone else is going to take my place."_

"You'll still be part of the family. Mom and Dad will love you as much as ever. And having a baby will be like having a living doll. Mom will let you help take care of it. It'll be fun."

_"If you say so."_

* * *

"So what happened then?" Sal asked. "Obviously, I was born. Was it as much fun as you anticipated?"

"Well, yes and no, " Jill told her. "Dad lost another job or two, and Mom really needed our help. We helped her as much as we could after school and on weekends. Mom didn't always feel that well, especially the further she got in her pregnancy."

"I remember that," Kris said. "The morning sickness was murder on her. When she got into the third trimester, she had a really hard time. She was always uncomfortable. Her feet were swollen and it was hard for her to go anywhere. She spent a lot of time with her feet up. We did most of the housework and cooking so she could rest."

"Where was Dad?"

"He wasn't as much help," Jill responded. "You know he had a drinking problem."

"Yeah."

"It got out of hand," Kris added. "It started when he was down on his luck. He lost one job, and started to drink. He lost another, and drank some more. He ended up drinking alot. When he was sober, he was a great guy. When he was drunk, we stayed out of the way."

"He didn't hit you or Mom, did he?"

"No. But the drinking pretty much controlled his life. When he got drunk, he'd concentrate on getting his next drink and do what he could to get it. He had bottles stashed around the house. We always found them and emptied them out. We had to hide our money from him." Jill busied herself looking through more boxes.

"Remember the bike?" Kris asked.

"Don't remind me." Jill continued poking through boxes.

"What happened with the bike?" Sal asked.

"If you must know, we'll tell you." Jill plopped down next to Sal and began another story about growing up.

* * *

_It was beautiful weather in the spring of 1963. Kids were busy playing outside. On any given afternoon, they could be found playing hopscotch, jumprope, jacks, and other outdoor games. They could also be found on bikes, skateboards, and roller skates. Jill and Kris rushed home from school one afternoon. They dropped their books in their room and ran down to the living room to find their mom. "Mom, we're home!" They called._

_"In here, girls." The girls went into the living room and found their mom stretched out on the couch. "Hi, girls."_

_"Hi, Mom. Can we play for a little while before we start dinner?" Both girls asked eagerly._

_Helen smiled tiredly at her daughters. "Go ahead," She told them. "Just for an hour or so."_

"Thanks, Mom." They both gave her a kiss on the cheek and rushed back outside. Helen watched them go. She didn't have the heart to tell them that their father had lost yet another job.

_Outside, the girls headed for the garage. Jill wanted to ride her bike, and Kris wanted to roller skate. They opened the garage door. They found the roller skates, but no bike. "Where's my bike?" Jill enquired. "I know I left it right here." _

_"Maybe someone moved it."_

_"Or stole it. Come on. Let's go look."_

_The girls started to scour the neighborhood in search of the missing bike. They asked around. Jill spied a neighbor boy riding her bike. "HEY! TOMMY!!! THAT'S MY BIKE!" She took off after him. Tommy saw her coming. He pedaled faster. Jill ran back to the garage and grabbed Kris' roller skates. "Mind if I borrow these?" Kris shook her head. Jill strapped on the skates and took off after Tommy. She caught up to him and grabbed the bike. She pulled him off and started beating on him. "What are you doing on my bike?" She demanded. Tommy started to cry. _

_"STOP!" he yelled._

_"Why do you have my bike???" Jill demanded._

_"It's not yours ! It's mine!" _

_"No, it's not!" _

_"Your dad sold it to my folks. It's my bike now!"_

_"He. Did. What?" The look in Jill's eyes was murderous. "C'mon, Kris!" The two Munroe sisters headed for home as fast as they could, leaving Tommy to recover from the beating Jill had given him._

_Jill got home first, took off the skates, and threw them into the garage as hard as she could. They hit some of her mother's ceramic pots, but she didn't care. She stormed into the house. Kris caught up to her and followed her in. "DAD!!!!!!" Jill yelled at the top of her lungs. _

_"Shhhh, honey. Your dad is sleeping right now." Helen came into the kitchen where the girls were. _

_"I don't care. He sold my bike!" _

_"He did what???" _

_"Dad sold Jill's bike to Tommy Jones. We just saw him riding it."_

_"I'll talk to your father when he wakes up. "_

_"I'm going to talk to him right now!" Jill stormed up the stairs to her parents' bedroom. Helen and Kris were right behind her. Jill flung open the door and marched into the bedroom. "Dad, I want to talk to you!" She went to her sleeping father and shook him roughly._

_"Arrrrrg!!" Her dad sat up quickly and winced._

_"What's the big idea? You sold my bike and you did it without asking me!" _

_"We needed the money. I lost my job again."  
_

_"So you sold my bike? You couldn't get money elsewhere? What did you do with the money?" Jill smelled her dad's breath and saw the bloodshot eyes. She left the room in disgust._

_Dinner that night was a very quiet affair. No one was speaking. Plates and food were passed in silence. Finally James spoke up. "Jill, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sold your bike, especially without asking you. I'll buy you a new one. "_

_Jill continued to look down at her plate. "Ok," She said faintly. She wasn't convinced._

* * *

"Was he always like that?" Sal asked. "I remember him being sober."

"He got help eventually. He went to AA and cleaned up his act, but he fell off the wagon a couple of times. " Kris told her.

"Yeah, those weren't pleasant memories," Jill responded. She flipped a couple of pages in the photo album. "Oh, look! Here's one of Mom coming home with Sal!"

"Oooooh, tell me about it!"

* * *

_Helen went into labor just after midnight on August 4th. She had been sleeping, when all of sudden she felt her water break. She reached over to nudge her husband. "James, it's time."  
_

_James grunted and rolled over. He rolled into the wet spot. "Helen, what the---?"_

_"I'm having the baby, James. We've got to get to the hospital right away."_

_"I'll call the doctor and the hospital. You wake up the girls."_

_They both climbed out to the bed. Helen went down the hallway to the girls' room. She flipped on the light. "Girls, it's time! I'm going to have the baby!"_

_Both girls squealed and jumped out of bed. They grabbed their overnight bags that had been packed for weeks and put them by the front door. Then they ran upstairs and grabbed their mom's hospital bag and put it in the car. They helped their mom into the car. "Will you girls be alright?" She asked._

_"Yes, Mom. We'll go next door to Mrs. Smith. Everything will be fine," Jill told her. Helen gave each of the girls a hug and a kiss. _

_"You're good girls." The girls smiled and waved as they backed away from the car. When their parents left the driveway, they returned to the house. _

_"Well, I guess we'd better go over to Mrs. Smith's, " Jill said. _

_Kris looked at the clock. "It's 1:00 in the morning. Why don't we go back to bed? And then go over after we wake up?"_

_  
"Because if Mom or Dad calls and we're not there, we'll get in trouble. Now, come on." Both girls picked up their bags and headed for Mrs. Smith's._

* * *

_At the hospital, Helen was quickly checked in and rushed to the delivery room. James was sent to the waiting room. He nervously paced for awhile. Then he flipped through some magazines. About an hour passed. Finally, the doctor came out of the delivery room. "Mr. Munroe?"_

_"Yes."_

_  
"Congratulations! You have a daughter."_

"Another girl? How about that! Can I see my wife?"

_"She's being wheeled into recovery right now. You can see her in a few minutes."_

_The nurse came out of the delivery room with a small pink bundle in her arms. "Congratulations, Mr. Munroe. Would you like to see your daughter?"_

"You bet I would!" James rushed over to the nurse to admire the little baby in her arms. 

_"She is 7 pounds, 5 ounces. She has little whisps of blonde hair. We're not sure about her eyes yet, but they look like they could turn blue or green. Would you like to hold her?" James eagerly held out his arms and the nurse placed her bundle into them. _

_"Hello, little girl," he cooed. "I'm your daddy." The baby slept peacefully in his arms. _

_"Mr. Munroe? You can see your wife now." Another nurse came into the waiting room. _

_""Goodbye, little one. I'll be back to see you soon." James gave the baby back to the delivery nurse and followed the other nurse to the recovery room. Helen was dozing in the bed. James tiptoed over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Hi," he whispered._

_Helen opened her eyes. "Hi," she whispered back. "Did you see her? Isn't she beautiful?"_

_"She is."_

"You're not disappointed that she's not a boy, are you?" 

_"No, I'm not."  
_

_"That's good," Helen murmured as she fell back asleep. James held her hand for a while, then put it down. He wanted to go celebrate, but talked himself out of it. His wife and daughters needed him. He made a vow right there to stop drinking. He left the room. He went down the hall to the pay phones. He picked up the phone, dropped in a dime, and dialed Mrs. Smith's number. "Hello, Mrs. Smith.............. It's James Munroe....... Sorry to be calling so late...............yes, everything is fine. It's a girl! It all went well. Helen is sleeping. Please tell the girls they have a new baby sister and that we love them............Thank you Mrs. Smith. I'll be by to see the girls in the morning............'Bye." He hung up the phone. He went back to his wife's room and sat in the chair next to her bed. Soon he was asleep._

_A few days later, Helen came home from the hospital with the baby. Jill and Kris were watching for their parents. They saw the car turning into the driveway and ran out the front door. "MOM! MOM!" they yelled. They tried to throw their arms around their mother. _

_"Careful of the baby," she told them. The girls waited until their mom was inside and sitting in a chair. "Would you girls like to hold your sister?"_

_"YEAH!"_

_"Shhhhhhhhh. Jill, you first." Jill sat on the couch. Kris stuck her tongue out at Jill. She didn't think it was fair that Jill always got to do things first because she was older. She forgot her jealousy when her turn came and the baby was placed in her arms. She carefully sat down on the couch and held her little sister tenderly._

_"Hello, little sister," she cooed. "I'm Kris, your big sister. I'm going to help Mom take care of you. Mom, what are we going to name her?"_

_Helen smiled. "Her name is Sarah Jeanine. I thought we would call her Sally."_

_"I hate the name Sally. I'm going to call her Sal." Kris declared._

_  
"Sal it is," responded James. "All those in favor?"_

_The whole family raised their hands, except for Kris, who was busy bonding with her baby sister._

* * *

"How come no one ever told me that story before?" Sal demanded. Both of her sisters shrugged. "It's so sweet. Mom and Dad were tender towards each other, and I was the best baby ever born....it's amazing I never heard it before."

"I'm sorry no one has ever told you, Sal," Jill said, putting her arm around her little sister. "You know Mom and Dad had their problems, and Kris and I were so much older, I guess it never really came up."

"But you've heard it now," Kris told her.

"Girls! Lunchtime!" Their Grandma's voice came up the stairs.

"Great! I'm starved!" Jill exclaimed as she headed down the stairs.

"So what else is new?" Sal asked Kris. They laughed together as they went downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Everyone sat down at the table for lunch. "Did you girls find anything interesting?" asked Grandpa.

"Yes," Sal answered him. "We found a photo album and Jill and Kris have been telling me about the pictures in it."

"What kind of pictures did you find?" Grandma asked.

"Some of when Mom was pregnant with me, and some of when I was a baby."

"Oh, yes, I have copies of some of those," Grandma told Sal.

"Would you like to come upstairs with us, Grandma?" Kris asked. "Maybe you can tell us who people are."

"I'd love to, but I don't like to climb those stairs very often. If you see something you're not sure about, bring it down and I'll help you."

"Fair enough," Jill answered.

Soon lunch was over. The girls helped Grandma clean up the kitchen and then headed back up the stairs. Sal went back to the photo album. She flipped through a few pages, and stopped when she saw one of herself when she was about six years old. Her front teeth were missing, and her blonde hair was braided into pigtails. "Oh, look at this!" She told her sisters. They came over to her. "It's a picture of me when I was in first grade. I remember taking this."

"I remember when you were in first grade," Jill said. "You had a boyfriend." Sal rolled her eyes. "He asked you for a kiss, and then you punched him. I told you that someday you would like it."

"So, do you?" Kris teased Sal.

"No one's asked since first grade, so I guess I will have to wait to find out." Sal went back to her photo flipping.

"Well, of course they haven't. The word probably got out that you'd put their lights out if they tried anything." Jill said as Sal playfully punched her.

"Hey!" Jill giggled.

Kris picked up the album. She continued to look through it. "Oh, here are some pictures of us on the beach. There's my surfboard. I bought it out of my own money."

"You picked up on surfing right away. But you sure got in trouble for hanging out on the beach for too long."

"I want to hear this." Sal made herself comfortable and prepared to listen.

* * *

_When Kris was a little older, she learned how to surf. She really enjoyed the sport. She took to it right away. Kris began to spend a lot of time on the beach. Her parents began to worry about her and the time she was spending on the beach. Every day after school, and most weekends, Kris was there with her friends. _

_One Saturday, Kris woke up with plans to go to the beach as usual. She got up and got dressed, and started to sneak out of the house. She was stopped by Jill's voice. "Where do you think you're going?"_

_"To the beach to meet my friends."_

"Not until you help me with the housework."

"I'm going, and you can't stop me!"

_"Oh, yes, I can!"_

_Kris tried to push past Jill. Jill grabbed her. "I said, you aren't going anywhere until you help out! MOM!"_

_Helen appeared at the doorway. "Girls, what's going on?"  
_

_"Jill won't let me go to the beach!"_

"She won't help with the chores! I'm sick of doing my work and hers too!"

"Kris, is this true?"

_Kris hung her head. "Yes."_

_"I want you to help your sister today. In fact, I'm going to give her the day off to play with her friends. You can do her share today, and then you can babysit Sal while I go to the store."_

_"But, Mom!"_

_"Maybe next time you won't push your work off on your sister."_

_"O....K........" Kris sighed. She got to work. Jill gave Kris a smirk and ran out the door._

_Helen left the room. Kris started to clean up the kitchen. A very young Sal came in. "I'm hungry," she said._

_"I'm busy!" Kris snapped._

_"Mom said you would pour me some cereal."_

_"Get it yourself." Kris began to regret those words as Sal climbed up to the cupboard and got some cereal. She dropped the box and dumped cereal all over the floor._

_"SAL!" _

_"You told me to get it myself!"_

_Kris was angry, but she couldn't stay angry at Sal for long. "I did tell you to get it yourself. Can you help me clean it up? You hold the dustpan and I'll sweep the cereal into it."_

_From the doorway, Helen watched them work together with a smile on her face. Kris poured Sal a bowl of cereal. Sal sat down to eat it while Kris finished cleaning the kitchen. Kris did all the chores without further complaint. After dinner, she willingly cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes. She went to the living room where her parents were._

_"Mom, and Dad, do you suppose I could go to the beach tomorrow?"_

_"You were a good girl today. If you do your chores tomorrow, you can go to the beach when you are done," her father answered her._

_  
"Thank you, Dad!" Kris gave her father a big hug and bounced out of the room._

_The next morning, Kris again woke with plans of going to the beach. She went downstairs to the kitchen. Helen came in. "Hi, Mom. What do you want me to do before I go outside?"_

_Helen looked around. "I need the kitchen swept and the living room vaccuumed. After that, I think you can go."_

"Thanks, Mom." Kris got to work.

* * *

_Kris grabbed her surfboard and ran to the water. She waved to her friends as she paddled out to the waves. She caught a good one and carefully stood up on her board. She rode the board back to shore. "That was fun!" she exclaimed. Kris' friend Kathy came up to her. _

_"Hey, that was a good one!" Kathy exclaimed._

_"Thanks."_

_"What are you doing tonight?" Kathy asked Kris._

_"Nothing. Why?"_

"Some of the kids are having a hot dog roast. Want to come?"

_"I'd like to, but I'm not allowed on the beach at night, unless I'm with my parents."_

_"Come on, it will be fun." Kathy insisted._

"No, I'd better not, but thanks for the invite."

With that, Kris grabbed her surfboard and caught a few more waves before going home. The next day at school, she heard that there had been a raid on the beach during the hot dog roast. Alcohol had been served and everyone at the roast had been arrested. Kris was glad she had decided not to go to the party.

* * *

"That was a close one!" Sal remarked.

"Yeah, it was."

"And she never tried to push her chores off on me again." Jill picked up the photo album and turned some more pages. "Oh, here's one of me winning the state tennis championship. And here's one of me on the basketball team. And here's one of me playing Little League."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah......." Both Kris and Sal said. "We know you were a superjock," Sal told her.

"Jealous?"

"No. Actually, we're quite proud of you," Kris told her.

"I'm proud of you guys too." The three sisters put their heads together and sat in a huddle for a moment. Grandma's voice came up the stairs.

"Girls! Dinner!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That evening, the girls gathered in Jill and Kris' room. Sal had the opened photo album in her lap. She kept leafing through the pages, remembering other times. Sometimes she would come across events she didn't remember and her sisters filled her in. "Oh, look, here's Jill's high school graduation!" Jill and Kris sat down on the bed next to her. Jill took the album.

"Oh, yeah! We had a double celebration."

"Why?" Sal wanted to know.

"Dad quit drinking right after you were born, and managed to stay sober until Jill's graduation." Kris told her.

"He had a few setbacks, but he managed to pull himself out of them and get his life back together. By the time you were old enough to remember, Sal, he'd gotten back on track and had a regular job. He even kept it." Jill added.

"I heard Mom tell him at one point to sober up or she was leaving." Kris said.

"She did." The girls looked up to see their grandmother standing in the doorway. "Your mother called me in tears more than once. Your father had some hard luck for several years and tried to solve his problems in the bottle. I was glad when he finally got help and stopped drinking. Your mother was too."

Grandma came over to the bed where the girls were sitting and looked at the open pages in Sal's lap. "Jill's graduation. We were so proud of you." Jill smiled at her grandmother.

"There has got to be a story in there somewhere," Sal said.

"There is," said Jill.

The girls scooted over to make room for Grandma on the bed. She sat down next to them and began.

* * *

_Jll had always been boy crazy. At first, boys were good playmates. They were always around to trade baseball cards with her, or available for a quick game of baseball. As she grew into her teen years, she began to notice boys more and more. In high school, she majored in boys and sports. Up until that point, Jill had been a fairly good student. She did her homework faithfully. In her Senior year, she became interested in racing. She and her friends met after school to drag race. That was fun until they had a couple of close calls with the police. The cops didn't think it was funny when teenagers ran red lights and drag raced down the main streets. Saturday and Sunday afternoons often found Jill in front of the TV watching NASCAR and other races. Homework began to slide down her list of priorities. On weekday mornings, Jill got up and got ready for school. She'd head for the high school, grateful that Kris couldn't follow her because she was still in junior high. Jill would go to a class or two, but if it was a boring one, and there were no cute guys in it, she'd skip it and go hang out with her friends. She got away with it for awhile, until the attendance office called her parents._

_The phone rang in the Munroe household. Helen had been doing some ironing while watching the soap operas. She put down the iron, turned down the TV, and picked up the phone._

_"Hello?"_

_"Mrs. Munroe?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Mrs. Munroe, this is Mr. Cottrill in the attendance office at the high school. I am calling about Jill."_

_"Is anything wrong?"_

_"In the last three weeks, she has had six absences."_

"That's impossible! I see her leave for school every morning." 

_"She's been skipping alot of classes. Her grades are going down. She's going to get kicked off the girls' basketball team. If this continues, she will not be able to graduate."  
_

_"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will talk to her."_

_""Thank you, Mrs. Munroe."_

_"Goodbye, Mr. Cottrill."_

_Helen put down the phone. She wondered how to approach Jill and how she was going to explain it to her husband. She thought about it as she went back to her ironing. It was soon time for the girls to come home from school. Sal came bouncing in, her pigtails flying._

_"Hi, Mom!"_

_"Hi, honey. How was school today?"_

_"Fine. Can I watch some TV?"_

_"Homework first. You can play outside for a little bit, though."_

_"Aw, man!" Sal went to her room to put her books away. Soon Kris came in.  
_

_"Hi, Mom."_

"Hi, honey. How was your day?"

_"The kids made fun of my braces. I HATE these things!" Kris stormed off to her room. Helen shook her head and started to put the ironing board away. It was time for Jill to come home._

_After a while, she showed up._

_"Hi, Mom."_

"Hi, Jill. How was school?" Helen looked at her oldest daughter closely.

_  
"Fine. I'm going to go meet some friends. Is that OK?"_

_"Jill, sit down. I want to talk to you."_

"What about?" 

_"The attendance office called. "_

"Did they say why?" Jill knew this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Yes, they did. Do you want to tell me why you've been skipping your classes?"

_"No."_

_"Jill Munroe!"_

_"Sorry, Mom. It's just that school is so boring. I'd rather be out with my friends. I don't see how all the stuff I'm supposed to learn in school will help me when I'm going to pursue a career in sports."_

"Jill, those things are nice to dream about, but you need skills so you can support yourself while you're doing it."

_"Ok, Mom. I'll try harder."_

_"I will have to tell your father about this."_

"Do you have to?"

"Yes, he needs to know."

"Great."

_"We'll figure out a suitable punishment. In the meantime, you can go to your room and start on some of that homework you're going to have to catch up on."_

* * *

_After dinner that night, Helen and James went to the living room while the girls did the dishes. Helen had filled James in on Jill's antics. Now they had to decide what to do._

_Helen got up from her chair and went into the kitchen where the girls were. _

_"Jill, please come into the living room. Your dad and I want to talk to you. Kris and Sal can finish in here."_

_Jill and Helen went to the living room, while Kris and Sal wondered what kind of trouble Jill had gotten herself into. In the living room, Helen pointed to the couch. Jill sat._

_"Jill, your mother tells me you've been skipping classes. Why?" James began._

_"I'd rather be with my friends. "_

"You can be with your friends in class," Helen pointed out.

_"It's not the same. School is so boring. "_

"What are you doing when you're not in class?" James asked.

_"Racing." Jill's voice was a whisper._

_  
"WHAT?" James thundered._

_  
"We've been racing. It's fun."_

_"It could get you a traffic ticket. It could get you in trouble with the police. It could get you killed." Helen told her._

_"It's the speed. It's so exhilirating."_

_"Jill, if I get word that you're skipping anymore classes, I will come looking for you. There will be consequences. Is that clear?"_

_"Yes, Dad."_

_"I want you to find out what you've been missing in your catch up your work. If you don't shape up, you will get kicked off of the basketball team, and you won't graduate."_

_"Yes, Mom."  
_

_"And you are grounded. You will have plenty of time to finish those assignments, because other than school, you're not leaving the house. No TV either." Her father decreed._

_"Yes, Dad. Can I go now?"_

_"You can go to your room and start on the homework." Her mother told her._

_With a resigned sigh, Jill left the room. Her parents watched her go._

_"She really is a good kid," Helen remarked._

_"Yes, she is," James agreed. "We just have to get her through this."_

_The school year passed. Jill quit skipping classes. She studied hard and got her makeup work done. She still watched boys, but not as avidly as before. Soon it was time to get ready for graduation. Jill checked with her guidance counselor and found she had all the necessary credits. The big day arrived. Jill had her cap and gown and everything was ready. The family drove to the high school and met Grandma and Grandpa there. Jill went backstage to line up with her classmates as the family found seats and sat down. The ceremony began. There were the usual speeches and musical numbers, and then it was time for the diplomas. The class stood up and filed towards the stage. Jill had to wait a while for her turn. Finally, it came. She went up the steps, and tripped on the last one. Regaining her composure, she crossed the stage, recieved her diploma and shook hands with the dignitaries. She made it the rest of the way without further incident and sat down. After the ceremony, the family met back at the house for a party. There were presents and cake and ice cream. Jill appreciated the gesture, but she wanted to go to some of the graduation activities._

_"Mom, Dad, this has been really swell. It was sweet of you, but I was wondering if I could go to the cap and gown hop? And then maybe a party after?"_

_"In a minute, Jill, " Her dad told her. He went outside for a minute, leaving everyone to wonder what he was up to. He came back in a few minutes, wheeling a top of the line 10 speed bike. Jill gasped._

_"Jill, a long time ago, I did something I shouldn't have. I sold your bike so I could have money for booze. I'm terribly sorry. I've felt bad about it ever since. I couldn't bear the look of disgust you gave me then. I've been working on cleaning up my act. I'm proud to say I haven't had a drink since Sal was born. I bought you this to replace the one I sold."_

_"Oh, Dad...." Jill had tears in her eyes. She flung her arms around her father. The rest of the family blinked back tears. James hugged his oldest daughter. "It's Ok, Dad."_

_"Time to celebrate!" Grandpa exclaimed. The family continued to celebrate with soft drinks. Jill stayed with them a little longer, her arm around her dad. Then she went to celebrate her graduation with her friends._

* * *

_"_What a graduation!" Sal remarked.

"Yeah, it had some interesting moments," Jill said.

"Especially when you tripped up the stairs," Kris laughed.

"I thought when your father announced that he had stopped drinking was the best part." Grandma added.

"Yeah, it was," the girls agreed.

"So, did he stay sober after that?" Sal asked.

"Actually, he did," Grandma answered.

"But they were killed in a drunk driving accident."

"He didn't cause it," Jill told her.

"And that is a story for tomorrow. It's getting late, so I will say goodnight," Grandma said as she got off of the bed.

"Goodnight, Grandma." The girls each hugged their grandma as she left the room.

"I'm going to bed too, but I'm taking this with me," Sal picked up the photo album and hopped off the bed. "Goodnight, you guys."

"Good night, little sister."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Warning: This chapter is depressing!)

The next morning after breakfast, Sal brought the photo album to the kitchen table. Her sisters sat down next to her, and their grandmother joined them. Sal opened the book to a picture of the family taken just before her parents' deaths. They all looked at it for a moment. "So, what happened that night?" Sal asked. "I remember bits and pieces of it, and the funeral, but a lot of it is blocked out."

"I'll put some coffee on. You girls begin," Grandma told them as she got up to start the coffee maker.

* * *

_It was just before Christmas. Sal was 12 years old. Kris was still in high school, and Jill was getting ready to enter the police academy. Jill and Kris were wrapping presents while Sal was snooping around under the Christmas tree. _

_"Sal, get away from there," Kris told her._

_"I'm looking to see if the stereo I asked for is under here."_

_"If it is, Santa will take it back," Jill said teasingly._

_Sal gave Jill a scathing look. "I'm too old for Santa Claus and you know it."_

_"Get away from there anyway."_

_"Do you guys need help wrapping presents?" Sal asked her sisters._

_"Sure." Kris passed Sal some scissors and paper. They worked in silence for awhile as they listened to Christmas music coming from the family's stereo. Their parents, dressed in evening clothes, came into the room._

_"Hey, you guys look great!" Sal told them. _

_"Why, thank you," her father replied._

_"I've got an idea! Be right back!" Kris exclaimed. She ran to her room and was soon back with a camera in her hands. "Mom and Dad, stand by the fireplace. I want to take your picture."_

_James and Helen obliged. Kris snapped the picture. _

_"I think we should have one of the whole family. Kris, does that thing have a timer?"_

_"Sure, Dad. Everyone get over by the fireplace." The family gathered around the fireplace as Kris set the timer and her camera on a tripod and then ran over to join them. The picture snapped, capturing the Munroe family. Little did they know it would be the last picture of all of them together._

_  
Helen looked at her watch. "James, we'd better get going or we will be late."_

_"You're right. I really hate these parties."_

_"So do I, but we must impress your boss. Will you girls be alright?"_

_Jill nodded. "We'll be fine, Mom. You guys have fun."_

_James and Helen got their coats. After some last minute instructions, including not letting Sal stay up too late (Sal made a face at that), they left. Jill and Kris went back to their present wrapping. Sal got bored with it._

_"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to go read in my room for awhile." She left. The older girls wrapped the last present and cleaned up the mess. Jill turned on the TV. She and Kris started to watch Kojack. Kojack nailed the bad guys. _

_"That's what you are going to be doing soon," Kris told Jill._

_"Yeah, I can't wait to go to the police academy. Being a cop is going to be so exciting."_

* * *

_James and Helen spent most of the party making small talk and nibbling on appetizers. James drank soft drinks and water. Helen was very proud of him that he had stayed sober for so long and was now resisting temptation. Finally, it was time to leave. James got their coats and helped Helen into hers. They said goodnight to their hosts and their friends and got into their car. They drove along silently for a while. Then they discussed their daughters and their hopes and dreams for them._

_"Imagine, Jill wants to go to the police academy," Helen spoke up._

_"She will make a great cop. She's quick on her feet, and never backs down from a fight. Remember when she chased down the neighbor kid because he was riding her bike?"_

Helen didn't like to remember that episode. "Yes, I remember. "

_"I still feel bad about it."_

"Well, you did make it up to her, and you quit drinking. I'm proud of you for that."

_"Kris will be a good school teacher. She's wonderful with kids. Look how she and Sal get along." James added._

_"She is wonderful with Sal. I'm glad they have a bond between them."_

_"I wonder what Sal will decide to be when she grows up?" James mused._

_"She has time to decide. She's still young."_

_"Holy s# !" James exclaimed. _

_"What?"_

"That SOB is coming right for us!" James tried to swerve the car as Helen looked up and saw headlights in their lane. She screamed. James over-corrected the car. It swerved off the road and onto grass. It hit a tree head on. Everything went black for James and Helen. Soon after, a passing motorist saw the wreck. He went to a phone and called the paramedics. The paramedics and police arrived, and extracted James and Helen from their car. They did what they could to revive them, but no luck. One of the paramedics pulled out James' wallet. "James Munroe, San Francisco. I'll tell the cops to notify his family."

* * *

_Back at the Munroe house, Jill and Kris had finished watching Kojack and were now cleaning up the living room. There was a knock at the door. Jill answered it. There was a policeman on the other side. How he hated his job at times like this. _

_"Is this the home of James and Helen Munroe?"_

_"Yes. Can I help you?"_

_Kris came to stand behind Jill. "What's going on?"_

_"Are you James and Helen Munroe's daughters?" _

_  
"Yes."_

_Sal came down the stairs. "What's happening?"_

_"Miss Munroe, I am Officer Miles of the SFPD. I regret to inform you that there has been an accident."_

_All three girls' eyes widened. The grasped each other's hands. Jill spoke for them. "Mom and Dad.....are they........?"_

_"I am sorry, girls. From what we can piece together, your parents' car hit a tree head on in an attempt to avoid another driver. They were killed instantly. I need you to come identify the bodies." _

_Kris and Sal started to sob. Jill felt tears come to her eyes, but managed to compose herself. "Yes, Officer, we will come."_

_"I'll drive you."_

_"Both of you, get your coats, " Jill ordered her sisters. They obeyed without hesitation. They got into the patrol car and drove with the officer to the morgue._

_At the morgue, they were asked to identify two bodies lying side by side on slabs and covered by sheets. The coroner lifted the sheet on first one, then the other. Jill nodded. "Yes, that's them. " All three sisters stood with their arms around each other. Officer Miles spoke._

_"Thank you, ladies. I will need you to sign some papers and then I will take you home."_

* * *

_After the girls got home, they returned to their living room, which now seemed lifeless to them. The Christmas tree and decorations had lost their cheerfulness. Jill and Kris sat on the couch. Sal sat in a chair nearby._

_"What do we do now?" Kris asked._

_"I'll be meeting with Mom and Dad's lawyer as soon as possible and see where we stand financially, and what kind of arrangements have been made for us. I know at one time Grandma and Grandpa were to be named our legal guardians. I'll check into that."_

_"Speaking of Grandma and Grandpa, don't you think we'd better call them?" Sal chimed in._

_"You're right, " Jill responded. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"_

_"I don't care. I want to stay down here with you two."_

_"OK. You can go up when you get tired." Kris went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea as Jill dialed the number to their grandparents' house._

* * *

_The next few days passed in a blur. Funeral and burial arrangements were made. Aunt Lydia and Uncle Paul flew up from Arizona to stay with the girls until a more permanent solution could be made. Jill met with the lawyers and found out what her parents had set up. She called together her grandparents, her aunt and uncle, and her sisters. They all came to the Munroe house. Jill put a pot of coffee on, and invited everyone to the kitchen table where she had paperwork spread out._

_"Thanks for coming, everyone. I've met with the lawyers, and this is what I found. Grandma and Grandpa are to be our legal guardians. I guess that applies to Kris and Sal, because I am over 21. Mom and Dad set up trust funds for each of us. I assume that is supposed to be for college. It says we can't touch them until age 19. They have some savings, but it is just enough to cover funeral and burial expenses. "_

_"We'll help if necessary with those," Grandpa said. Grandma nodded in agreement._

_"So will we," added Aunt Lydia. Uncle Paul nodded._

_"As far as the house goes, I think we may have to sell it. There is no way we can afford to keep it. I won't be making that much at the police academy, nor for a while after I graduate. I want to help support Kris and Sal."_

_"That's not necessary, dear," Grandma told her._

_"It may not be necessary, but I want to. I want to contribute to those trust funds for their college educations as well."_

_"Kris and Sal, what do you think?"_

_"I wish we could stay here, but I guess you're right," Sal spoke up._

_"Me too," Kris added._

_"As soon as the burial is taken care of, we will move you girls into our house and we will start to go through this one and prepare it to sell." Grandpa told them._

_"Ok, Grandpa," all three girls agreed, tears streaming down their cheeks._

* * *

_The day of the funeral arrived. The sisters stood together, and greeted the other mourners. The service was a blur. None of them remembered it very well. Each girl silently cried as the caskets were lowered. They went home to a luncheon prepared by friends and neighbors. After everyone was gone, the three sisters once again sat on their couch. _

_  
"I'll be going into the police academy next week." Jill told the other two._

_  
"I wish you didn't have to go," Sal said._

_"I know, but I will write often, and I'll call you once a week, OK?"_

Sal nodded.

_"I guess we'd better start packing for Grandma's house, " Kris said as she got off the couch and went to her room. _

* * *

_All too soon, the day arrived for Jill to go to the police academy. Grandma and Grandpa drove the girls to the airport. They hugged Jill, and then stood back to give the sisters some last few minutes alone together._

_"Now remember, you guys, I'll write and call often. You do the same. " Jill told them._

_Kris and Sal nodded. Jill gave each of her sisters a hug. Sal was first._

_"Goodbye, little sister. I'll miss you. Take care of my bike for me, OK?" Sal hugged back and nodded through her tears. Kris was next._

_"Goodbye, Kris. Take good care of Sal, Ok?" Kris nodded. A final hug, and Jill went through the departure gate. Arms around each other, Kris and Sal joined their grandparents._

* * *

Jill, Kris and Sal silently sat at their grandmother's kitchen table with tears in their eyes as they relived their memories. Grandma also had tears in her eyes. Sal closed the album.

"Even though that last memory was sad, I'm glad you shared it with us, Grandma, " Sal said.

"Us too, " Jill and Kris echoed.

"I'm glad to share it with you. Like I said, girls, there are plenty of other things in the attic that belonged to your parents and you are welcome to take them home. Why don't you go up there and look around some more?"

"Ok, Grandma."

"Sal, can I look at the album a little bit more? I promise I will give it back."

Sal handed her grandma the photo album, and gave her a big hug. Then she ran to join her sisters to see what other treasures the attic held for them.

* * *

(Don't say I didn't warn you!)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Munroe sisters spent the remainder of their vacation sorting their parents' belongings, having picnics and visiting with their grandparents, and looking up and visiting old friends. The rest of the time passed quickly. The day to go home soon arrived. The girls' bags were packed and loaded in their car. Sal held the photo album in her arms. They had shipped some boxes down to the beach house in LA, and tagged some furniture to be sent at a later date. The girls gave each of their grandparents a hug. "Thanks for everything!" they said.

"Glad to have you. Please come again soon."

"We will."

The sisters climbed into their car and backed out of the driveway. Sal spoke up from the back seat. "There is one more thing I would like to do."

"What's that, Sal?" Kris asked from the driver's seat.

"Actually, there are two. One is, I'd like to drive by our old house and see what it looks like now."

"And the other?" Jill asked.

"I want to go to the cemetery and visit Mom and Dad's grave."

"Sounds good to me," Kris said . They swung by their old house and parked in front of it. They looked at it for a bit.

"Just like anyone else, we had good and bad memories growing up. I'll keep the good ones," Jill said as her sisters agreed with her.

They drove by a florist shop and bought a bouquet of flowers. At the cemetery, Sal placed them beneath a headstone that said "MUNROE." The sisters silently reflected, and then returned to their car. Sal picked up the photo album again and looked at the last couple of pages of the photo album. "Oh, Jill. Mom saved your acceptance letter to the police academy. And there is a picture of you in your uniform with it. Grandma must've put it in there." She passed it up to Jill in the front seat so that she could see it.

"Oh, yeah. That was when I met Sabrina and Kelly. Those were good times, but they are stories for another time. I think I will start them with, "Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy......."

_The end_


End file.
